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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26049412">To What Do I Owe This Pleasure?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dopredo/pseuds/Dopredo'>Dopredo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Schitt's Creek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Mentioned) Patrick Brewer, Best Friends Stevie Budd &amp; David Rose, Cute, Dramatic David Rose, Eventual Fluff, Ew, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Rosebud Motel, Short One Shot, Stevie Budd Is Bisexual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:48:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26049412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dopredo/pseuds/Dopredo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Stevie had realised a long time ago that she would do anything for Alexis; she just hoped Alexis never figured that out, or she’d have a lot of favours on her hands…”</p><p>Alexis invites Stevie to move to New York, leaving Stevie to wonder whether it means what she desperately wants it to…</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stevie Budd &amp; David Rose, Stevie Budd/Alexis Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To What Do I Owe This Pleasure?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: Car (courtesy of my unaware father)</p><p>Really I just wanted to add something to this amazing fandom – there is definitely not enough gay Stevie in the world ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stevie looked up from the desk when the bell chimed in the door, and was surprised to see Alexis in the doorway. She was about to say something snarky, but decided against it when she noticed that Alexis was lacking in her usual charm. Her cheeks looked flushed, and her usually eccentric hands lay flat against her sides.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Alexis</em>?” Stevie gulped, trying to push the curiosity that was growing inside her to the back of her mind, but ultimately failing. “Why are you back from New York?”</p><p> </p><p>Alexis looked at the ground and bit her lip. She wasn’t quite sure how to phrase this. “I need a favour,” she breathed, not looking Stevie in the eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Anything,” Stevie said too quickly. She shuffled awkwardly and rolled her eyes, trying to make it seem as though she had been being sarcastic, but the truth was, she was totally serious. Stevie had realised a long time ago that she would do anything for Alexis; she just hoped Alexis never figured that out, or she’d have a lot of favours on her hands…</p><p>Alexis gave her a watery smile and moved over to the desk, leaning slightly towards her. Stevie held her breath and didn’t move a muscle, knowing that any movement she made could give her away – could give away the fact that there were sparks flying in her brain, and butterflies dancing in her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>Tracing her fingers over the desk, Alexis gave a sharp intake of breath.</p><p>“I need you to come to New York.”</p><p> </p><p>Stevie’s eyebrows shot upwards (perhaps the most movement they had ever made) and then furrowed in the opposite direction. “Wait… You want <em>me </em>to move to New York?” she probed quickly. “<em>Why</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, Alexis plodded around the desk and nudged Stevie halfway off her chair, and almost onto the floor. Stevie smiled (tolerant only because it was Alexis) and shared the seat willingly.</p><p>“Because you’re the one,” she said bluntly. Stevie almost fell off the seat. “Y-you’re the one who can help me out – you’re really cool like that.” She stammered slightly, flustered only for a second, before regaining her usual elegant stature.</p><p> </p><p>Swallowing hard, Stevie turned her head as much as her neck would allow. Her cheeks were so flushed that, if she could have seen herself, she was sure she would’ve looked something like that time when she lathered on blusher to prove a point to Jonny.</p><p>Alexis didn’t look much better. Although she had kept her cool a lot more than Stevie, she was surprised by how flustered she had become.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I…” For the first time in her life Stevie was speechless.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to answer right now,” Alexis forced. It was clear the delay was already tormenting her, and she stood up from the chair and walked around the desk. “Just… let me know, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>Stevie nodded, wide eyed and still processing all the information.</p><p>
  
</p><p>With a half smile, Alexis vanished through the doorway, leaving Stevie questioning everything, and feeling like a total idiot.</p><p><em>Did this mean what she thought it meant</em>, or was she just projecting? Could she really just up and leave? Did she <em>want</em> to? Most importantly: <em>How did she let Alexis have this power over her…? </em></p><p> </p><p>The door slammed and Stevie thumped her forehead to the desk.</p><p>“Shit.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>1 Week Later...</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>It had been on Stevie’s mind every moment of every day. When she’d been working at the motel, trying to sleep at night, and when she’d been at David and Patrick’s for dinner.</p><p> </p><p>The conversation had gone something like:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“So, Patrick was reading the New Yorker the other day, when—”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What?! Why would you say that? I’m not going to New York!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>David and Patrick had become dangerously suspicious after that, and hadn’t let up since. The door clanged open and Stevie glanced up from her daze.</p><p> </p><p>“To what do I owe this pleasure?” she drawled at David, who hid a smile. A smirk played on his lips as he placed his palms down on the desk and leaned towards her. “Ok, spit it out,” Stevie sighed, barely glancing him – it took her mere seconds to read him perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>David’s smirk broke out into a full grin and he rocked on his toes.</p><p>“So… I was talking to Alexis this morning, and <em>she said </em>she’d invited you to New York… for <em>business</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>Mentally cursing, Stevie fought back that bloody blush that seemed only to be associated with Alexis. She let out a small cough, shrugging it off nonchalantly. “Yeah. She said I was the only person she knew who could pull of the <em>vampirey-but-somehow-lovable</em> look...” She turned the sarcasm up to maximum: “I have <em>no idea</em> what she meant by that.”</p><p> </p><p>“No. Neither,” David grinned. “Are you gonna go?”</p><p> </p><p>“Umm… No,” she said convincingly – too convincingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, too bad,” David frowned, turning to leave. He stopped for a second and then called back over his shoulder, amusement playing over his face. “I think she has a crush on you.”</p><p> </p><p>“WHAT!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ha! I knew it! You have the hots for Alexis! That is, like… ew.”</p><p> </p><p>Stevie groaned, going scarlet. “I don’t! I swear!”</p><p> </p><p>David wasn’t having any of it. He jumped around the room on one foot.</p><p>“Ew… EW… eweWewEWewEew<em>eww</em>…… EW Stevie!”</p><p> </p><p>“David. If you don’t stop <em>ew</em>ing I’m going to hit you with my shoe. And you <em>do not </em>want to know where else it’s been.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a pause, and then David stopped hopping and huffed. “Fine.” Rolling his eyes, he trotted back to the desk and looked at Stevie expectantly. “But I’m not happy about this. It’s like, <em>so gross</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you really think Alexis has a crush on me?” Stevie smiled in the opposite direction.</p><p> </p><p>David looked at her as though she’d just told him their next guest would be the Queen of England. “I thought you were meant to be observative.”</p><p> </p><p>“Observational? And… it’s just hard for me to gauge. You sister’s, like, really bloody confusing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, I can’t know for sure… but I’m usually right. And if you don’t go to New York, you’ll never know what could’ve happened.”</p><p> </p><p>Stevie looked at him in amazement. “You think I should go?”</p><p> </p><p>Pushing away from the desk, David cast her a sly grin. He flapped his hands simultaneously in an unreadable gesture. “It’s still <em>ew</em>… But I think you should do what <em>you</em> think is right. I never said anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are literally so unhelpful sometimes.”</p><p>Stevie bit her lip, considering. David looked at his watch and cursed melodramatically. “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>He hissed through gritted teeth. “It’s just, Alexis is leaving today.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah I know—”</p><p> </p><p>“—Shh. She said she was leaving at 3pm – that’s fifteen minutes from now!” David’s face looked tortured. There was a beat and then Stevie shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>“God, you’re such a drama queen. This is Schitt’s Creek – I could walk to the other end of the town and back in under that.”</p><p> </p><p>“What, with your tiny legs? Better start walking.” David clapped her towards the door and she shook her head wearily.</p><p> </p><p>“Where is she parked anyway?” she sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Umm… I think at the <em>motel</em>.” Seeing Stevie’s face, David winced.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Seriously</em>?” Stevie tried (very vaguely) to supress a smirk. “Why am I friends with you?”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>It took mere moments to reach Alexis, who was standing by her car right outside the motel looking concerned. To Stevie, those moments went in slow motion.</p><p>Alexis looked up from her car, a grin instantly plastering itself to her face.</p><p>“Stevie!” she chimed. “You came!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” Stevie exhaled slowly, nodding her head as she did so. She had so much to say, but no idea how to say it.</p><p> </p><p>Alexis caught on immediately. Somehow (despite being Alexis) she always managed to read Stevie like a book. “What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>There was a pause, while the air around her seemed to vanish, and then Stevie opened her mouth. “It’s… Ok, so, you know you wanted me to come to New York?” Alexis nodded. “Well, I don’t know if I can do that. You see, I don’t think we’re on the same page about what this means. I… I…”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you.” Alexis said the words before she could stop herself.</p><p> </p><p>Stevie said nothing. And then she continued to say nothing. It was as though every other word apart from those three had vanished in an instant, and Stevie was left mute, and not knowing what to do.</p><p>A slight fog came to Alexis’ eyes and she fell back against the car. “I had to tell you,” she whispered. A crystal tear dropped from her eyelid, like dew rolling off a spring flower. Stevie’s heart was thrumming so fast she felt as though she was about to start levitating. She inched closer to Alexis, hanging on to every word that left her flawless, rose petal lips. “I know you don’t feel the same. I know you’re straight, and that’s why you can’t come to New York. But I just had to—”</p><p>Stevie lunged towards her and grabbed her face with her hands. The kiss was deep and passionate, and she felt it in every molecule of her body. The world spun around her and Stevie had to grab Alexis’ waist for support, pushing her up against the car. The soft, exposed skin on Alexis’ stomach pressed against Stevie, and she brushed a strand of hair delicately away from her face.</p><p>Alexis embraced Stevie as though the world was ending. As though nothing else mattered as long as they were together. As though they could stand there forever and never let go.</p><p>And she never did.</p>
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